1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a lighting device for vehicles which comprises a flat type light conducting body having two opposed flat sides at which light is transmitted from a light coupling or input side of said light conducting body to a light decoupling or output side thereof by total reflection, and a narrow side at the light input end along which a plurality of spaced-apart light elements are fitted for light input into the light conducting body, said narrow side extending in at least an extension plane perpendicular to the flat sides.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Prior known from DE 10 2005 018 121 A1 is a lighting device for vehicles which comprises a flat type light conducting body and a plurality of light elements that are arranged in a row on one of the narrow of the flat type conducting body. The light conducting body has opposed flat sides of which one is structured such as to provide a relatively homogeneous illumination face (“light curtain”). The light elements are disposed in one common plane and at constant spacings from one of the narrow sides of the flat type lights conducting body. It is due to said spaced-apart arrangement of the light elements that a light input zone of reduced radiant intensity is created between said light elements in the narrow-side region that has a triangular light input zone as viewed in longitudinal section of the light conducting body. Unless a light output zone of the flat type conducting body is disposed on a flat side like in the arrangement according to DE 10 2005 018 212 A1, but on a narrow side of the light conducting body that is opposite the light input side, then the darkened areas of the narrow side need to be covered up by a masking element in front of them to achieve a homogeneous illumination pattern.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the flux of radiation in the area of a light input side of a flat type light conducting body according to a prior-art embodiment of a lighting device.
It is an object of this present invention to improve a lighting device for vehicles in such a way that light input into a flat type light conducting body is enhanced.